Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-09-18

happy as he sat down among the wine
drinkers and said alt only cost me
go this time. When the license-fee
was $40 the regular rate of getting i'm
munity from arrest when one Of tiOse
fellows caught you was s2j, but when
the license was raised TO 220) and a
disposition shown to enforce the law
more strictly had to pay go.
Why don't You complain Of those
men ? asked ono OF the wine-drink-
erS. The proprietor turned pale at the
very suggestion and said hIt would
ruin ne. ! would be hunted ont Of
business IN a month. One liquor-dealer
in New York tried it and was driven 10
the wall. He had been putting up so
week TO a special officer. who finally
raised the sum to 800 a week That
was more than he could stand. and De
refused to come down any more. In a
/ month his place WITS closed"
One Of the party % wine-imbibers,
/ who was stranger IN New York. eX-
/ pressed surprise Mt what he hal heard
/ ana The proprietor proceeded 20 til
HIM OF the methods Of some Of the oil
GERS who sec to the enforcement Of the
sunday Closing, or, under certain con-
ditions, are blind TO it. " Understand, "
| he SAID, 81 DO not say that all these
special officers are blackmailers, but
NY cash account shows that some OF
them are, and / know several dealers
who have had the same experience. 1t
ccsisme about SJ0a monthto kcepthOse
i"llows.at bay. Sometimes one OF them
vii drop in Of week day, make him
self known, and say: Give me- n
paper Of tobacco / want one Of those
prize packages We know what a prize
Taclage means. wrap mp the tobacco
IN ten dollar bill and hand il to the
fellow, who goes away satisfied for the
time being. These precinct detectives
who wUe Just IN here are not under
Tic direct control Of the Inspector. but
q the Captain. Besides two special
detectives in each precinct there IS the
SPECIAL excise officer. II he is in
ciined to be crooked he is more to be
feared than the precinct detectives.
lie is detailed from some squad and
sent into precinct whore he is not
known. and instructed toarrest violators
Of the excise law. II be is fortunate
enough to got into a precinct where
there are 500 or more saloons lie reaps
p Iich harvest The crooked precinct
detectives, who 60 in pairs have to di-
vide, but your special excise officer,
who goes alone, has al he can make.
/ knew one Of them whose operations
became so bold that he had to
resign. Shortly after he left the force
lie bought a fine house and had capital
enough left to 60 into business. The
poprictors Of small places have to put
UP SO, or perhaps rs little as -, TO
locp from being led to the station
house when one Of these law
onforcors in citizens clothes catches
lin. l once knew n poor saloon
ist 10 Get on for 22 30. but the cnforccr
Was IN q hurry TO get home and the 81
loonist was inclined to be obstinate. In
crtCing places ike this the officers dis
puiso themselves in the Carb of we'll
dressed men about town. bat when sent
over or the East Side an excise officer
viii put on oyoralls and play the work
iuoman racket. The sal0onist thinks IL
Lard to refuse an honest laboring-mau
% drink. lie admits the fellow and
IIfty soon discovers that the working
man wears fine linen under his rough
clothes and shield on his suspcndcr.
Non know the law provides That We
must close ut ! o'clocl; in the morning
on week days l once knew % p0-
Ecman who used &C. make q
good thing for himself ou his day OF
rs going about IN ctiz-n clothes and
pretending to arrest s2ioouists whose
places were open after o'clock in the
booming Another dodge the crooked
laW eHiorccrs have is 90 come around
aad borrow s., to he returned when
they got Their pay. We never expect
90 CO. 1t again, and we don't
a few weeks ago reporter Ind q
sinking illustration OF the fact that
cue New York policeman will take IL
lIilc The reporter had been detailed
to write MP a big fire on the liaymlr-
Lct. He had left the Office in too
great haste to get the fire badge which
each reporter must wear to get through
tie iuc of police surrounding biz
fire. He explained the matter t.
lurly policeman, VINO grufily said
"lC can't 90 through"
The reporter insisted, and the police
man was obstinate, but finally he turn
al upon thenews gatherer with a know
ing lcer, and said LETS see II yoa'rc
worth the price OF a drink.
The reporter was entirely solvent
Dc led Tie way to a saloon and set 'em
up for theTcprcsoutatiyc OF the majesty
g. thc law, WHO had no sooner gulped
down his grog than no said: Now
eyo Us mother The second drink
Wis forthcoming and down-going. and
then the officer issued the edict "Now
you may pass the fire line
MANsrmLD's DUAL ROLE.
Clever Richard Mansfield has set tae
town talking again. lie is the most |
,uterprising and the most indefaiiga-
iie of workers, and his reputation has
lcoD gained in a legitimate way and
lot through the medium OF the divorce
courts or 10y posing as masher. There
has not in many years been SO much |
preliminary talk about play rs the r.
learsals Of "Dr. Jekyl and Mr.. hyde"
called forth. The presence Of the an
thor of that famous book in New York |
st the time did much TO strengthen tho |
interest Robert Louis Stephensonsat |
among the audience tine first night look |
ing gbas,ly i'll. 1t is a hard fats that |
tie most eminent and original of En- /, |
lish novel writer's to-day should be il |
such yrotched health. his life has been |
several times despa.red Of, and his |
NY, sent condition IS pathetic in the last
degree.
The success of Mansield's pro iuc-
tion is absolute. lie has added new |
rte to his rcPlrtoirc W lich will live
lie change which the actor makes in
his dual character is astounding when
IL is realized that IN it he depends en-
troly on bis art. From the large, Sc
rene, and benevolent "Dr. Jekyl -
Which is pronounced, by the way, as
though spelled Jeekyl-he twists him
self instantly into the sinister aud
monster Hyde. His face is
distorted into the semblanee almost of
an animal, his figure shrinks, his arms
and fingers twist themselves into un-
couth shapes, and he seems an entirely
man. The play reyoives en-
t1ely around the star, and Mansfield